Obviously, he's a natural," says Red Sox utility infielder Alex Cora, one of Ramirez's closest friends in the game. "But he works at his craft every day. He doesn't ever take the game for granted. Without a doubt, he's the hardest working guy I've ever been around -- and I've been around a lot.

Sorry but I'm taking Joe Blow on the internet over people that actually know him.

Obviously, he's a natural," says Red Sox utility infielder Alex Cora, one of Ramirez's closest friends in the game. "But he works at his craft every day. He doesn't ever take the game for granted. Without a doubt, he's the hardest working guy I've ever been around -- and I've been around a lot.

Sorry but I'm taking Joe Blow on the internet over people that actually know him.

Obviously, he's a natural," says Red Sox utility infielder Alex Cora, one of Ramirez's closest friends in the game. "But he works at his craft every day. He doesn't ever take the game for granted. Without a doubt, he's the hardest working guy I've ever been around -- and I've been around a lot.

Of course a friend of Manny's would say that though. He's not going to say he's a lazy ballplayer. I'm not saying it's not true, I just wanted to point out that Cora might not be the most reliable source.

Obviously, he's a natural," says Red Sox utility infielder Alex Cora, one of Ramirez's closest friends in the game. "But he works at his craft every day. He doesn't ever take the game for granted. Without a doubt, he's the hardest working guy I've ever been around -- and I've been around a lot.

Of course a friend of Manny's would say that though. He's not going to say he's a lazy ballplayer. I'm not saying it's not true, I just wanted to point out that Cora might not be the most reliable source.

Curt Schilling: When I came here, I remember the first thing that totally caught me off-guard was seeing him go through the hotel lobby at 10 o'clock in the morning with the strength coach to go lift. Then I learned that after that he came to the park and hit, went back out and still came here much earlier than everybody else.

Everyone always think the most talented players — the Cal Ripkens of the world — are just gifted. It's the exact opposite. They are gifted. But they work harder — in a lot of cases, twice as hard — as everybody else. That was the personality who came to mind for me with Manny — Cal. Cal took a hundred groundballs every day — every day. Manny hits and he's in the video room as much as I am, watching video.

David Ortiz: Manny, he's got a different program, the way he prepares to play the game. I followed him for a while, but then I gave up on it. I've got family!

By all accounts I've heard over the last 8 years, Manny is one of the hardest working guys on the team in terms of preparation (for hitting anyhow) and is generally liked by most of his teammates. That to me has nothing to do with the possibility that he struck out on purpose - I'm not positive he did, but I think there's a very good chance he did based on his other antics.

"The government cannot give to anyone anything that it does not first take from someone else"

Bloody Sox wrote:By all accounts I've heard over the last 8 years, Manny is one of the hardest working guys on the team in terms of preparation (for hitting anyhow) and is generally liked by most of his teammates. That to me has nothing to do with the possibility that he struck out on purpose - I'm not positive he did, but I think there's a very good chance he did based on his other antics.

Bloody Sox wrote:By all accounts I've heard over the last 8 years, Manny is one of the hardest working guys on the team in terms of preparation (for hitting anyhow) and is generally liked by most of his teammates. That to me has nothing to do with the possibility that he struck out on purpose - I'm not positive he did, but I think there's a very good chance he did based on his other antics.

And I don't. Especially after I watched the pitch he struck out on.

Okay, so how about the two of you call it a draw and let it go already???? We're never going to know the "truth" anyway so why does it matter? And since when does a Jays fan defend Manny to a Sox fan? Next thing you know cats and dogs will be dancing in the street...

As far as his options are concerned, anyone who thinks the Sox are going to let Manny walk at the end of the year are crazy. Do I get a little nervous anytime a ball is hit sharply to LF? You bet. Does his base-running frustrate me sometimes? Yup. Do I love the fact that he is a future hall of famer who can probably quite easily put up .290/30/100 next year while protecting Ortiz in the line-up and give us a shot at the playoffs again? You bet I do!

He's coming back to Boston, like him or not. You have to take the good with the bad and the good and, in my humble opinion ( ), the good far outweighs the bad in the case of his on-again, off-again antics.

Now, let's all play nice

I gotta go, I think my dog is swing-dancing with my neighbor's cat....

RedSoxNation04 wrote:As far as his options are concerned, anyone who thinks the Sox are going to let Manny walk at the end of the year are crazy.

Count me in the crazy group then, because I dont think there is much of a chance he comes back unless he goes totally nuts in the 2nd half. I think Theo cant wait to get his hands on that 20 million and use it to get a younger slugger or another top arm.

Bloody Sox wrote:By all accounts I've heard over the last 8 years, Manny is one of the hardest working guys on the team in terms of preparation (for hitting anyhow) and is generally liked by most of his teammates. That to me has nothing to do with the possibility that he struck out on purpose - I'm not positive he did, but I think there's a very good chance he did based on his other antics.

And I don't. Especially after I watched the pitch he struck out on.

The amount of at bats are few and far between where an ump is going to call a third strike looking on an 0 - 2 count to MannyRamirez. I'm not sure this has been mentioned yet.